for the right to unionize without interference. they would be a powerful force. fast food workers are the fourth largest occupation in the country! they earn on average about $18,000 a year. for full time. that's roughly the poverty level for a family of three. at the same time, these big chains are reporting record profits. and the issue underscores a fundamental, moral question. will we build an economy that pays workers enough to support a family or will we use the government to subsidize people's wages through food stamps and other support. today, we're not doing either one. in michigan, i signed a bill to raise the minimum wage to $7.40 an hour. that was six years ago. it needs to be raised again. the federal minimum wage is lower than that. it is now just $7.25 an hour. try, just try imagine earning $7.25 an hour and paying a mortgage or rent try living on $7.25 an hour and buying food, much less acquiring transportation in some way. forget clothing. that's a total luxury. this is a moral issue. but it is also an economic issue that's going to determine the